KEESHAN, William

Name – KEESHAN, William
Born – 14/01/1899
Died – 9/05/1959
Location – No 22 Catholic Section
Mother – Hannah Grieve
Father – Daniel Keeshan

Notes – William (known as Bill) was born to Hannah (nee Grieve) and Daniel Keeshan in 1899 at Benalla,Victoria. He was one of five children and his siblings were Andy, Daniel Jnr (Dan), James (Jim) and Sarah. His family moved to the Tara district in 1908 and purchased a property on the Moonie River called Mulleelee now called Riverside.

All the Keeshan boys had properties and none except for Dan married. Their sister Sarah (Sis) never married either. The Keeshans were cousins to the Naughtin family. Hannah Keeshan and Grace Naughtin were sisters. Clarrie Naughtin and Bill Keeshan were the same age. The Naughtins lived out the Westen Road early on, then out the Kogan Road at Gunbower.

Clarrie used to ride to Riverside to help the Keeshan when needed. They made a roller to put prickly pears in to knock the spines off them to enable it to be more paletable for the cattle.

Census information on Bill showed, in 1925 – 1943 William, Andrew, Daniel, Hannah, James and Sarah were all living at Goranba, Tara Line. All the men had their occupations as Selectors, women are domestic duties. In 1954 Daniel Jnr left with his wife Ethel Geraldine to live in Toowoomba.

Bill and and his brother Andy were on a lawn bowls tour to Honolulu when Bill died walking off the gangplank. He had had many heart turns in the past but every time Andy was near him and thumped his chest and started his heart again. On this day, the people surrounding Bill wouldn’t let Andy near him, instead calling for medical help and by the time they got there Bill had gone.

By local knowledge, Bill was the first person ever to be mumified and buried in the Tara Cemetry.

KEESHAN, William has a headstone that reads – In Loving Memory of our Brother William Keeshan. Died Honolulu. Born 14th Jan 1899 died 9th May 1959.

Newspaper Article – Obituary (not viewable till May 2029 – 70 year copyright)

War Service File  –

Learn more about the Tara Cemetery here.